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Tributes paid to retiring Kallis

South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has announced his retirement from international cricket, admitting that next year's World Cup was just out of his reach.

The 38-year-old, who has been a mainstay for South Africa since making his Test debut in 1995, will continue to play club cricket despite calling it a day in all forms of the international game.

Kallis had already stepped down from the Test side last December but has now confirmed he will no longer be available for the Proteas' one day or Twenty20 teams.

Having announced his Test retirement last year, with 13,289 runs and 292 wickets to his name, Kallis declared his intention to finish his South Africa career with a successful 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

But now the former Middlesex and Glamorgan man has decided the recent 2-1 ODI series win in Sri Lanka will be his last outing for his country.

"I realised in Sri Lanka that my dream of playing in a World Cup was a bridge too far," he said.

"I just knew on that tour that I was done. The squad that was in Sri Lanka is an amazing one and I believe they have a good chance of bringing the trophy home in March.

"I would like to thank Cricket South Africa, the team, the team sponsors, my sponsors, the fans and all the people who have been involved in my career. It has been an amazing journey.

"I am not retiring from all cricket as I have a two-year contract with the Sydney Thunder and, if possible, to help the Kolkata Knight Riders defend the IPL (Indian Premier League) title we won earlier this year."

Tributes to the career of Kallis began to filter through after his announcement, with former international team-mates Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy both tweeting their praise.

"A sad day for SA Cricket, as #theking @jacqueskallis75 retire from international cricket. A legend!!," Petersen wrote.

Duminy was equally as gushing, tweeting: "Been a privilege and an honour to have played alongside this living legend @jacqueskallis75 congrats..."

Haroon Lorgat, chief executive of Cricket South Africa, hailed the impact Kallis had on the sport.

''South Africa has been blessed with one of the world's greatest cricketing talents in Jacques Kallis,'' he said.

''He is undeniably one of the greatest players ever to have graced our wonderful game and he has certainly been the Proteas standard-bearer of excellence for nearly two decades.

''He has played a huge part in making cricket a truly national sport of winners and, in doing so, contributed so much to the important process of nation building.

''To say that we will miss him on the playing field is stating the obvious. Each one of us from this day on will treasure the many fond memories of his awesome career.

''On behalf of CSA and all our stakeholders, I would like to sincerely thank Jacques for his huge contribution to the game of cricket and wish him only the best as he moves on from the international playing arena.''

Some of Kallis' opponents down the years also sang his praises, with former England captains Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen in agreement as to his abilities.

"Jacque Kallis is the Greatest ever Allrounder IMO... The international game will miss him..." wrote Vaughan.

South-African born Pietersen put Kallis in the top bracket as he tweeted: "Arguably the greatest ever cricketer retires...cricket will miss you."

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